Lease Definition

lēs

leased, leases, leasing

noun

leases

A contract by which one party (landlord, or lessor) gives to another (tenant, or lessee) the use and possession of lands, buildings, property, etc. for a specified time and for fixed payments.

Webster's New World

The period of time for which such a contract is in force.

A two-year lease.

Webster's New World

The property that is leased.

Webster's New World

An agreement in which the right of occupancy or use of real property, or the right to use personal property, is conveyed to another for a set period of time in return for consideration, typically in the form of periodic payments.

Webster's New World Law

Falsehood; a lie.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
term of a contract
letting
rental
opportunity
new outlook
new perspective
another chance
rental agreement
charter
permission to rent

verb

leased, leases, leasing

To give by a lease; let.

Webster's New World

To grant use or occupation of under the terms of a contract.

American Heritage

To get by a lease; take a lease on.

Webster's New World

(intransitive) To grant a lease; to let or rent.

Wiktionary

(chiefly dialectal) To gather.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Antonyms:
sell
buy

adjective

False; lying; deceptive.

Wiktionary

idiom

a new lease on life

An opportunity to improve one's circumstances or outlook.

American Heritage

new lease on life

another chance to lead a happy life, be successful, etc. because of a new turn of events

Webster's New World

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Lease

a new lease on life
new lease on life

Origin of Lease

From Middle English lesen, from Old English lesan (“to collect, pick, select, gather"), from Proto-Germanic *lesanÄ… (“to gather"), from Proto-Indo-European *les- (“to gather"). Cognate with Scots lease (“to arrange, gather"), West Frisian lêze (“to read"), Eastern Frisian lesen (“to gather, read"), Dutch lezen (“to gather, read"), German lesen (“to gather, read"), Danish læse (“to collect, read").

From Wiktionary
From Middle English lesen, from Old English lÄ«esan (“to loosen, release, redeem, deliver, liberate"), from Proto-Germanic *lausijanÄ… (“to release, loosen"), from Proto-Indo-European *leu- (“to cut, solve, separate"). Cognate with Dutch lozen (“to drain, discharge"), German lösen (“to release"), Swedish lösa (“to solve"), Icelandic leysa (“to solve").

From Wiktionary
From Middle English *lesen, from Anglo-Norman *leser, Old French lesser, laisier (“to let, let go"), from Medieval Latin lassō (“to let, let go"), partly from Latin laxō (“to loose"); partly from Old High German lāzzan, lāzan (German lassen, “to let, let go, release"). Cognate with Old English lÇ£tan (“to allow, let go, leave, rent"). More at let.

From Wiktionary
From Middle English leas, lees, les, from Old English lÄ“as (“false, void, loose"), from Proto-Germanic *lausaz (“loose, free"), from Proto-Indo-European *lÅ«- (“to untie, set free, sever"). Cognate with German los (“loose"), Swedish lös (“loose"). More at loose.

From Wiktionary
From Middle English lese, from Old English lÇ£s (“meadow"), from Proto-Germanic *lÄ“swō (“meadow"), from Proto-Indo-European *lÄ“y-, *lÄ“id- (“to leave, let"). Cognate with Old Saxon lÄ“sa (“meadow"). See also leasow.

From Wiktionary
Middle English les from Anglo-Norman from lesser to lease variant of Old French laissier to let go from Latin laxāre to loosen from laxus loose slēg- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Middle English *leasien, from Old English lÄ“asian (“to lie, tell lies"), from lÄ“as (“falsehood, lying, untruth, mistake").

From Wiktionary
From leash

From Wiktionary